Double Jeopardy
by SakuraKurosaki
Summary: After the battle with Ultimecia, the Galbadian government has placed a bounty on Seifer's head. As Seifer is being hunted, Headmaster Cid dispatches Squall & co. to find Seifer and bring him back to garden. Can they find him in time? Squall x Rinoa, Seife


Howdy! (hehe. I like that word) Welcome to my new fic, it's something that I was inspired to do after playing the game for the billionth time (okay so I'm exaggerating) but I felt the need to write a FFVIII fic to show my love for the game =O It takes place right after the game ends. Squinoa // Seiftis Remember to R&R please! ^_^ - Sakura  
  
* * * * *  
  
Double Jeopardy Chapter 1: Wanted  
  
"WANTED: for conspiring with the Sorceress Ultimecia and War Crimes, Ex- Knight SEIFER ALMASY. 5,000,000g reward. Dead or Alive."  
  
Rinoa Heartilly stood back, biting her lip as she read the sign that had been posted in the Quad. 'Can't the fighting just be over? Can't we just let it be?' she thought. Despite the fact that Seifer had tried to kill her when he offered her to Sorceress Adel, Rinoa still had a spot in her heart for her ex-boyfriend. At one time, she was even convinced that she had been in love with the young revolutionary. But then he had to join forces with Ultimecia, and thanks to her, Rinoa was now a sorceress as well.  
  
"It's a shame," spoke a voice from behind Rinoa. She jumped, not noticing that Quistis had been standing behind her. Quistis Trepe stood tall, her arms crossed over her chest. "That boy had a lot of potential, if only he had taken his studies a little more seriously he could have been a great SeeD."  
  
"Who's offering the reward for Seifer?" Rinoa asked the other woman; curious about why someone would pay that much money for his capture.  
  
"Galbadia. President Deling is dead but his successor wants to see justice. Ultimecia is gone, so someone has to take the blame to calm the people. I guess it's easy to blame everything that happened on a boy who was merely confused and acting on his emotions. . ." replied Quistis, who genuinely seemed to pity Seifer. In truth, she didn't want to see anything bad happen to her ex-student.  
  
"Hmm. . . my father is probably involved then. I need to talk to him, they can't just offer a bounty on someone like that!" huffed Rinoa.  
  
"Well, I hope Seifer can evade them. He's going to have a lot of independent mercenaries and bounty hunters after him. SeeDs will probably be dispatched as well, Garden could benefit from such a prize." Said Quistis, frowning. "In any case, let's go to lunch. I would like to beat the rush for the hot dogs." Rinoa smiled and turned to Quistis.  
  
"Good idea," she said with a giggle. "It's so funny when we get hot dogs and Zell doesn't." The two turned around and began walking to the cafeteria. Rinoa turned around one last time, taking in another glance at the wanted poster. 'Seifer. . . I don't think I could ever understand why you do some of the things that you do' she thought pensively. With that, she turned her attention to the front and walked to the cafeteria with Quistis.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Zell rounded the corner, keeping close to the side of the wall as he alertly glanced around. He crept along, as if he were trying to blend in with the hallway wall. 'Low profile, that's it' he thought to himself. Zell Dinct was on a mission. He burst into the room that contained the objects that he sought out, his mind trained on only one thing. He went forward, getting closer. . . closer to his goal. Suddenly, he popped up as he reached his destination.  
  
"WHAT?!!!!! NO HOT DOGS AGAIN?!?!" his cry of outrage echoed throughout the cafeteria. The cafeteria woman who was serving the food looked bored, almost as if she had gotten used to Zell's response to the daily lack of hot dogs. She picked up an ice cream scoop and loaded up a tray with mashed potatoes, gravy, and a chicken patty sandwich. Zell's shoulders slumped as he took the tray, grumbling his thanks. It was like this everyday. He always tried to beat the rush but somehow managed to get deprived of hot dogs everyday. 'I'll bet the junior classmen cleaned them out today' thought Zell bitterly.  
  
"Yoo-hoo! Zell! Over here!" called Selphie Tilmitt. The petite but energetic brunette stood up, waving her arms to get his attention. Zell grinned despite himself, then loped over to their table. He stopped short when he realized that all of his friends had hot dogs on their trays. And Irvine Kinneas had TWO!  
  
"Irvine, you got me a hot dog!" exclaimed Zell. He fell to his knees, truly grateful that he had at least one good friend, seeing how Irvine was the only one who had thought of him today.  
  
"Sorry man, this one is for me too." Replied the cowboy, a bit sheepish. "I was training with my G.F. today and I am like, totally hungry." With that, Irvine reached for his second hot dog, and started eating it. Zell looked crestfallen, but stood up with a huff.  
  
"And I thought you were my friend!" he told Irvine, an accusing tone in his voice.  
  
"Zell, please sit down." Said Squall Leonhart, lightly massaging his temple while casting the over-excited martial artist a disapproving look. Squall, the commander of Balamb Garden, was clearly under a bit of stress. Rinoa leaned over and patted his back. Those two had gotten very close during the past few months, while everything was going on with Galbadia and the Sorceress. It was unspoken amongst this group of friends, but very clear that the two were in love. Zell finally did sit down and he turned his attention to his lunch. Quistis had noticed Rinoa's gesture towards Squall, and she frowned slightly as she picked at her salad.  
  
'If it's such a misunderstood love, then why is it so hard to get over the idea of Squall and I together? Forget it, Trepe,' she told herself 'he loves Rinoa.' Quistis sighed as she thought.  
  
"Hey, have y'all noticed those Wanted posters that are all over garden?" drawled Irvine. He lifted his hand and tucked a few strands of chestnut hair that had fallen out from his ponytail. Irvine was new to Balamb Garden; he had attended Galbadia Garden until Martine assigned him to work with the Balamb SeeDs in the Sorceress Edea assassination attempt. They had gotten so close that Irvine transferred after the battle.  
  
"For Seifer, right?" asked Selphie, her green eyes gleaming.  
  
"Right," confirmed Squall, "I saw those as well."  
  
"What do you think that want with Seifer?" inquired Selphie. Seifer wasn't one of her favorite people, especially since he destroyed her beloved Trabia Garden with missiles, but she had compassion for him and never hoped for bad things to happen to even the biggest meanies.  
  
"That's what we were wondering. . ." murmured Rinoa, looking at Quistis. She sounded worried, because like Selphie, Rinoa didn't like when old aquintences were hurt. Squall, who was holding her hand under the table, squeezed it gently to reassure her.  
  
"You reap what you sow, right?" said Zell, trying to be sensitive since he could have said something much worse. Seifer had never been a friend to Zell, since he was constantly teasing him and calling him a chicken wuss. Squall nodded, secretly agreeing. It was true that Seifer had caused a lot of trouble and that was catching up to him. The two "knights" had grown up together, always clashing because of their two different personalities. Seifer was the fiery, high-spirited troublemaker; and Squall was the callous and brooding one. The twin scars that ran down both of their faces had become a symbol of their rivalry.  
  
At Zell's words, the group looked a bit shocked, but no one said anything. It was a true statement and even though no one directly wished for his death they knew that Seifer would most likely be punished upon capture for his crimes. After an uncomfortable silence, the bell that signaled the end of the period rang out. Everyone stood up and gathered their belongings. Rinoa gave Squall a peck on the cheek before heading off to her Casting class. She wasn't a SeeD, but Headmaster Cid thought that a casting class would help the new sorceress sharpen her skills. Squall's ears turned red, but he smiled warmly with the contact.  
  
'So she's even managed to start melting the ice that encloses his heart' noted Quistis. She was genuinely happy that Squall had found his happiness. Selphie beamed at the "couple", hoping that one day she could be that close with Irvy. The group scattered, each going off to different destinations.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Quistis took the elevator up to the second floor and walked down the familiar hallway where she once taught as an instructor. Now, she was just a regular SeeD like the majority of her friends. She got to the end of the hallway and stopped at a door that students weren't allowed in. Reaching into her pocket, Quistis pulled out her keycard and swiped it through the ID scanner. The door opened and she stepped into the room. Despite not being an instructor anymore, Quistis still had many special privileges and was still able to retreat to the teacher's lounge when she wanted to.  
  
"Hello, Quistis," greeted her friend Xu, "What are you up to at the moment?" she inquired.  
  
"I've just been thinking a lot today," Quistis replied, "and I'd like a cup of tea so I came here rather than my dorm since I'm all out."  
  
"You know, I think you should re-apply for your Instructor's license." Suggested Xu.  
  
"I don't know. remember, I just don't have what it takes to be an instructor. I couldn't even control my class."  
  
"No, you couldn't control SEIFER." Spat Xu, her mahogany eyes flashing angrily. "He made you look really bad, and now that he's proved what an unruly child he is, I'll bet the board of education will definitely review you."  
  
Quistis knew that Xu never liked Seifer, because she also had to deal with him on all of the occasions where he had to take the SeeD field exam. The two frequently argued, and Seifer was a good match to Xu's quick tongue. If anyone hated to lose a spat, it was Xu.  
  
"I'll think about it." Replied Quistis as she set her books and folders down on a leather couch. She put a tea bag into a mug and then went to the coffee machine, and pressed the "hot water" button.  
  
"Promise me?" asked Xu. "I miss 'Instructor Trepe' and I'm sure the 'Trepies' do too." Said Xu, jokingly referring to Quistis' fan club.  
  
"I'll bet they do" Quistis said dryly, rolling her eyes. Even though she was no longer an instructor, the Trepies still followed her around and worshiped the ground she walked on. The girls wanted to be her and the boys just. . . wanted to do her.  
  
"Well, I've got to run. I'll talk to you later, Quis." Xu turned and left the room, the heavy iron door sliding shut behind her. Quistis watched her go, feeling slightly better. Although she probably didn't realize it, Xu had managed to cheer Quistis up and deter her from her thoughts of loneliness. It had been bothering her a lot lately. She wasn't jealous of Rinoa, but she secretly wished that she could have a special someone as well. It wasn't like Quistis to think like that though, normally she had an air of confidence and a wall of ice around her heart. She sipped her tea, lost in thought. Suddenly, an announcement snapped her out of it.  
  
"Will Squall Leonhart please report to the Headmaster's office? Thank you." Came Cid's voice over the P.A. system.  
  
'I wonder what that's about?' wondered Quistis.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Squall had been in the training center, fighting a T-Rexuar along with some cadets when he heard the announcement over the P.A. system. 'Shit.' cursed Squall. He had to end this quickly, so he unleashed his powerful limit break. Squall launched himself at the giant dinosaur, slashing and shooting his gunblade. Hit 1. . . 2. . . 3. . . 4. . . 5. With each hit, the T- Rexuar cried out in fury, enraged about the injuries that were being dealt to him. Squall's gunblade easily sliced through the tough hide and each slash came closer to ending the creature's life. He landed, then whipped up his arms and viciously slashed his gunblade, ending his attack with a Rough Divide. With a cry of defeat, the T-Rexuar pitched forward and hit the ground headfirst. The battle was over, and Squall stood, panting slightly. The cadets looked at him in awe, amazed at the strength of his blows and fighting ability.  
  
"I have business to attend to. I'm appointing Cadet Erik to take command for the rest of your training today. Good work, Cadets." Squall told them as he sheathed his gunblade and turned around, leaving the train area. 'What does the Headmaster need me for?' pondered Squall. It seemed like ever since Squall was appointed commander, he was always needed. He didn't mind the position, just the unwanted attention that came along with the job. Squall walked along the hallway, making his way to the elevator. He got in, and pressed the button to the third floor. Squall was one of the few students who always had access to the Headmaster's office, before he had become a SeeD it had been virtually impossible to find the office before. Upon arrival to Headmaster Cid's office, Squall stood erect and gave a salute.  
  
"At ease, Squall." Headmaster Cid told him, sitting calmly at his desk. Squall dropped the salute and slumped over a little, still standing in front of the desk. Cid gestured to a burgundy leather chair nearby. "Pull up a chair for this one, it may take awhile" He Instructed.  
  
'It may take awhile? . . .Great.' Squall thought while pulling up the chair. Even though he had recently become a world-renowned hero after the defeat of the evil sorceress from the future, Squall had grown bored with the peace and lack of fighting. As a soldier, it was what he lived for.  
  
"As you may already be aware of, the Galbadian government has put a rather hefty bounty on Seifer Almasy's head. . ." began Headmaster Cid.  
  
'Just what are you getting at?' thought Squall suspisciously. He shifted in the seat, trying to find a position where he wouldn't get stiff. It was hard, because he was trying not to get too comfortable while being briefed by the headmaster.  
  
"I would like to dispatch two teams to hunt down- no, find- Seifer Almasy. It is of utmost importance that Balamb Garden finds him first. Our time is limited, but I have faith in my SeeDs." Headmaster Cid finished his statement, and then looked to Squall for approval. Squall stood up at this preposterous idea, crossing his arms as he looked at Cid, half wondering if the man was crazy.  
  
"You want the bounty that's on Seifer's head?"  
  
"No, Squall. . ." came a voice from the corner of the room. Matron had been standing there the whole time. Of course, it was only natural that she would be involved in any matters concerning her "children". Edea Kramer stepped out from the shadows, the light from the windows shining on her ebony hair. Squall hadn't seen her, as the woman usually wore black and had blended in quite nicely with the corner of the office. "We want to find Seifer and bring him back here."  
  
"But why?" asked Squall icily. The last thing he wanted was to bring HIM back here. Surely it would be chaos. Harboring a wanted man meant certain confrontation with the Galbadian military and Squall didn't want to get involved with that when it meant conflict on behalf of his rival.  
  
"If we don't do something, Seifer will be executed. We have reason to believe that we need Seifer." Explained Headmaster Cid.  
  
"Why is Seifer Almasy so vital to Balamb Garden that you'd risk military conflict?" Squall demanded to know. He figured that being called up here had something to do with those posters, but the last thing he expected was a mission to save Seifer.  
  
"Please, Squall. . ." began Matron "You and Seifer grew up together, your bond is very special and your destinies are intertwined. Even as rivals. . ."  
  
"Enough." Squall broke in, tersely. "I'll do it."  
  
* * * * *  
  
Author's notes: End of the chapter, tralalala. I will make future chapters longer but I think it's off to a good start. I'm using a working title right now; I may re-name the story later with something a little more unique. Comments and reviews are desired =) Thanks and see ya next time! 


End file.
